A problem that has confronted the operators of motor vehicles such as trucks and stationary equipment or the like having internal combustion engines and in particular diesel engines is the problem of cold weather starting. It is well known that in very cold or sub-zero weather, engine oil tends to solidify and batteries are very inefficient. Thus, the starting of engines in low temperature weather is not only a prolonged operation but also causes excessive wear on batteries, starting motors and the like. Furthermore, as the engine oil is quite viscous at low temperature, proper circulation of the oil is not obtained during engine starting so that inadequate lubrication of the engine during starting results in wear and tear on the engine parts. It is well known that equipment operators who must periodically stop for rest and sustenance attempt to avoid the problems of cold starting their diesel engines in their equipment by leaving the engine running during such periods which may last from some minutes to many hours, especially if such running is overnight. Consequently, considerable fuel is consumed during such idling operation of the engine not only adding considerably to the cost of operating the equipment but also producing pollutants which can be both annoying and destructive. Some attempt has been made to alleviate the problem of cold starting by the use of heaters inserted into the engine block such as immersion-type electric water heaters. However, such heaters require an electric outlet for each engine idle at any one given location and electric heaters are useless during power failures, or in rural areas where electric power is rare or non-existent.